Derek Gardner, the transmission engineer whose obsession with tire grip led him to design the six-wheel Tyrrell P34 race car, has died at the age of 79. Here's the Tyrrell lapping Monaco in its full freak glory. (H/T jalopnikfan) [ITV] »1/12/11 8:30am 1/12/11 8:30am

Yes kids, there was a time in Formula One racing when engineers did whatever the hell they wanted — within a loose interpretation of reason — in the quest to find the best combo of speed and aerodynamics in an increasingly safety-conscious environment. That attitude led to the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, a constant… »1/31/07 11:02am 1/31/07 11:02am

If we could only own one historic Formula 1 car, it would be a Tyrrell P34. Yes, the Maser 250F is fab, and the Lancia D50 floats our boat mightily. The Gurney Eagle may be the prettiest GP car ever built. But nothing flips our goddamn switch like the six-wheeled Tyrrell. We mean, it's got six wheels! Six wheels,… »8/26/06 12:00am 8/26/06 12:00am